Interview with a Dota 2 Cosplayer – Angelina Ambrosch

We’ve had the chance to chat with Dota 2 cosplayer Angelina Ambrosch. You may have seen her previous apparitions as female Bloodseeker at ESL One Frankfurt 2015 and Clockwork at Frankfurt Major 2015. I’m happy to have her here at Loot Market, talking about her cosplay experience, the Dota 2 cosplay scene and have a peek at her new Slark cosplay that will see the spotlight at ESL One Frankfurt 2016.

Dota 2 cosplay is still at its beginnings. Can you tell us how your journey started and what made you decide to begin cosplaying Dota 2?

I started my cosplay journey with the bloodseeker cosplay for ESL One last year. Friends of mine were planning to go to there and I found out about the cosplay competition. I love to be creative and try new stuff so that’s how i got into it.

Did you find the “cosplay” element a necessity in Dota 2 or is it more a matter of choice?

I wouldn’t say it’s necessary but in general it’s awesome if digital characters come to life through cosplay and give eSport events or conventions a special touch.

What was the most troublesome element to craft for a costume and how long do you spend crafting?

The Clockwerk helmet was super tricky to figure out. Rattletrap has a different head shape than me and I wanted to make the eyes glowing. So it took some tries to get that right. I can only guess about the time, probably around 30 hours.

You are preparing a 3rd costume for ESL One Frankfurt 2016, can you tell us more details about Slark’s progress? (time, investment)

Didn’t come that far till now to be honest. Had a lot of other stuff to do (play Dota and Overwatch haha) I finished his two fish armor-props and his face. The bodysuit, belts and weapon are still missing. So I will have to finish him in two really intense weeks till ESL one.

What do you expect from events you are attending? Would you like to see more Dota 2 events involved in organizing competitions?

People should just bring good vibes and shouldn’t be too shy to ask for pictures or how the cosplay was done. I liked the meet-up for group pictures at the Frankfurt Major and how the guys from ESL support the cosplayer in general. Competitions are a nice way to get feedback and motivation and bringing cosplayer together. But speaking for myself, I wasn’t even sure to be part in this years with Slark. I’m not aiming on a high standing, I would work much harder if i did.

Do you feel like the community appreciates all the work and effort that goes into making a cosplay?

Yes mostly. Every picture taking with a cosplayer or a nice comment on social media is a way to appreciate. But just yesterday i read a comment where someone was complaining about a cosplay and that it’s not good enough. So not everyone knows that dota cosplay is hard work and you can’t just go ahead and buy PA’s helmet somewhere.

Could you name one character or one type of character as which you could never imagine yourself cosplaying? Why?

A character with really long hair, unless its braided. I’m not a big fan of wigs and longhaired wigs are getting messy so fast. Also not sure about bodypaint but i might try that for my next cosplay.

Photoshoot is definitely an important part of cosplay. Would you like to see more scheduled at events by the organisers?

I was super happy with the photos taken on the Frankfurt Major and the group video shoot.

What would it be your most treasured memory related to cosplay?

I love everything about it, the planning, the search for materials, the crafting sessions with my friend Clarissa, the road of hot glue burns and finger cuts, the mix of despair and fun and the experience with the finished cosplay at events with the Dota community and all other cosplayers. <3

You can find more about Angelina and her Dota 2 cosplay by following here Facebook Page and her Twitter. ESL One Frankfurt 2016 is less than three weeks away on 18-19 June at Commerzbank-Arena, check out the officialpage for more information.